Defense has been the Cowboys’ problem area for several seasons now, and the secondary keeps coming up as a spot that needs a real fix. Dallas has cycled through defensive coordinators since Dan Quinn left, and the results have only gotten worse.
That’s why Cody Williams of FanSided has the Cowboys looking at cornerback in his latest 2027 NFL mock draft. With the 21st overall pick, Williams has Dallas taking Kelley Jones out of Mississippi State.
Jones’ calling card is easy to spot: size. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he looks more like a wide receiver than a corner, and he uses that frame aggressively. He can fit in different schemes, though Williams says he’s best in press coverage.
The flip side is that Jones is still a work in progress, which is part of why not everyone has him going in the first round. That rawness could matter even more in Dallas if the coaching staff doesn’t take a noticeable step forward. Even so, Williams sees a player who could step in right away.
“My gut tells me that the Cowboys would love if there was a linebacker or an offensive tackle falling to them in this spot, but I don’t think they can go wrong on defense in many spots overall regardless. The pick for me is Kelley Jones, because Dallas simply can’t move forward without making substantial upgrades in the secondary,” Williams wrote.
He added, “Jones could either replace Joey Porter Jr. if he leaves in free agency or pair with him on the outside, which would move DaRon Bland back into the slot where he’s always performed better.”
That Porter angle matters because Dallas sent a second-round pick to Pittsburgh to get him, so the team will do what it can to keep him. If Porter and Jones are the outside starters, Bland could be the odd man out, especially with the Cowboys clearly liking Caleb Downs in the slot.
That wouldn’t be a bad outcome for Dallas, either. Bland has been a problem this season and hasn’t shown signs of turning it around. And even with Jones needing development, he’d bring a major upgrade at a much cheaper price.
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Cowboys Get A Live Test Of Two Recent Trade Decisions
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Odighizuwa has brought pass-rush value but has also had issues holding up against the run, which makes him worth watching against a Cowboys offense that will want to know what kind of impact he can still make. Winters, meanwhile, has had a mixed start of his own, and this matchup offers Dallas a live test of whether the move made sense on both sides of the ball, even if the fuller answer may not come until after the game. [Read more 🡒]